On December 21st each year, communities around the country commemorate National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day to remember our neighbors who lost their lives before they could exit homelessness. The vigils held on this day, coinciding with the longest night of […]
Author: Marcy Thompson
The Role of Law Enforcement in Homelessness Response
In all three cases, according to local reports, these men were well known in their communities. Mr. Junkin was described as someone who would give the shirt off his back to another person in need. Mr. Kissick was never seen […]
Moving Forward After the Supreme Court Decision
In Justice Gorsuch’s opinion, he wrote that public-camping ordinances do not criminalize status, as they prohibit the actions taken by any person: whether they are experiencing homelessness, a backpacker on vacation, or a student choosing to protest on the lawn […]
What It Takes to End Homelessness: Beyond the Supreme Court Decision
The Supreme Court is about to rule in the case of the City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, the first major case on homelessness to be heard by the Supreme Court since the 1980s. The case will determine the […]
Advocating for Person-Centered Responses to Homelessness
Using punitive measures to respond to homelessness, such as arresting and/or fining people who sleep outside, is not a new approach. However, laws that punish those who have no other place to go have steadily increased in recent years at […]